Dodgers notes: Clayton Kershaw wants to return to rotation sooner, not later

The Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw sits in the dugout before pitching for the Quakes at LoanMart Field in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, Friday, April 25, 2014. (Photo by Jennifer Cappuccio Maher/Inland Valley Daily Bulletin)

The Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw warms up before pitching for the Quakes at LoanMart Field in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, Friday, April 25, 2014. (Photo by Jennifer Cappuccio Maher/Inland Valley Daily Bulletin)

By all accounts, Clayton Kershaw’s rehab assignment Friday for the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes was a success. The two-time Cy Young Award winner pitched five strong innings in his first competitive work since going on the disabled list with a strained back. Kershaw struck out six, walked one and allowed two hits in 56 pitches.

“He felt good today,” Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said before Saturday’s game against the Colorado Rockies. “He said he felt like he didn’t even pitch.”

Mattingly said Kershaw will likely have a bullpen session Monday, and he and the medical staff would like to see Kershaw pitch at least one more rehab assignment. Kershaw, however, is anxious to get back.

Extra pressure

The Dodgers fell to 1-5 in extra-inning games with Friday’s 5-4, 11-inning loss to Colorado. Mattingly said part of the problem is players trying to end the game with one swing of the bat instead of stringing hits together.

“In my mind, and this may not be true, but in my mind I think we have enough guys that all want to win,” he said, “but they’re not willing to take a pitch, move the runner, you know.

“They all want to (win the game) and that’s not a bad thing, it’s just the (kind) of guys we have. Everybody thinks they’re gonna win (the game), you know. ‘I wanna win this thing,’ instead of putting three singles together, moving the runner over, something like that.”

Mattingly feels the problem may lie in a lineup that features several players who have been “the guy” on other teams and are used to coming through in clutch situations.

“You still have to do the small things,” Mattingly said. “I want them all coming to the park thinking ‘I’m gonna get that big hit.’ I think that speaks to the quality of our guys, and they’ve been the guy that’s carried their club. We have a lot of guys who have been that guy on their club in the past. There’s really no one ‘the guy’ here. We’ve got a lot of good players.”

Offensive woes

Entering Saturday, the Dodgers had gone 4-7 since taking two of three games in Arizona, and they’ve averaged only 3.0 runs per game over that stretch, scoring two runs or less six times.

“Since we left Arizona, we’ve been an offense that really hasn’t been that good,” Mattingly said. “That was a good offensive series for us. ... I think we’ve just got to continue to get better, continue to grind it out.

“In baseball, you can go through stretches where for a period of time it seems to be like this, and then the next thing you know, you bounce out of it and you’re on a roll for two weeks, and everybody’s talking about how good your offense is.”

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Center fielder Matt Kemp entered Saturday’s game hitting just .200 and had struck out in over a third of his at-bats (21 strikeouts in 60 at-bats). Mattingly said Kemp may be trying too hard after missing so much time over the past two seasons with injuries.

“The biggest thing is knowing you’re gonna come out of (the slump),” Mattingly said. “... That’s where that confidence is so important. ... You’ve gotta believe, and it’s gotta be part of your fabric.

“Obviously, he’s not going the way we know he’s capable of,” Mattingly added, “but ... I think part of it is he hasn’t really played in a couple seasons. … Matt’s trying really hard and he wants to show he’s back and show the fans he’s back.”